The Whole World Shook When the Name Was Forbidden in Vain

Our rabbis taught: The oath imposed by judges may also be recited in any language. They say to the one taking it: Know that the entire world trembled at the hour when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses at Sinai, "You shall not take the name" and so forth. Concerning every transgression in the Torah it says "and He clears," but here it says "for He will not clear." For every transgression in the Torah punishment is exacted from him alone, but here from him and from his family, as it says, "Do not let your mouth bring guilt upon your flesh" (Ecclesiastes 5:5), and "your flesh" means none other than relatives, as it says, "and from your own flesh do not hide yourself" (Isaiah 58:7). For every transgression in the Torah punishment is exacted from him alone, but here from him and from the whole world, as it says, "swearing and lying and murdering... therefore the land mourns" (Hosea 4:2-3). For every transgression in the Torah, if a person has merit, judgment is suspended two or three generations, but here punishment is exacted at once, as it says, "I have brought it forth, says the LORD... and it shall enter the house of the thief" (Zechariah 5:4): this is one who steals the mind of others, who has no money owed by his fellow yet claims it and makes him swear. "And the house of the one who swears falsely by My name": as it plainly means. "And it shall lodge in the midst of his house and consume it, its timber and its stones": from here you learn that things which fire and water do not consume, the vain oath consumes. If the man says, "I will not swear," they release him at once. If he says, "I am ready to swear," those standing there say, "Depart now from beside the tents" (Numbers 16:26) and so forth. When they impose the oath on him they say, "Know that we do not adjure you according to your own intent, but according to our intent and the intent of the court." So too we find with Moses our teacher: when he made Israel swear, he said to them, "Know that I do not adjure you according to your own intent, but according to my intent and the intent of the Omnipresent," as it says, "And not with you alone... but with whoever is here" (Deuteronomy 29:13-14). I have only those standing before Mount Sinai; from where do I include the coming generations and the converts destined to convert? Scripture says, "and whoever is not here." I have only the commandments accepted at Sinai; from where the commandments destined to be instituted, such as the reading of the Megillah, Hanukkah, and Purim? Scripture says, "the Jews confirmed and accepted" (Esther 9:27): they confirmed what they had already accepted upon themselves. The Master said: The oath imposed by judges may also be recited in any language. As we learned: These are recited in any language: the passage of the suspected wife, the confession over the tithe, the recitation of the Shema, the Amidah prayer, the grace after meals, the oath of testimony, and the oath concerning a deposit; and it states also that the judges' oath may be recited in any language. The Master said: The whole world trembled at "You shall not take," as the reason is taught: for every transgression in the Torah it says "and He clears," and here it says "He will not clear." But is it not written regarding all transgressions in the Torah as well "He will not clear"? That verse is needed for what was taught: Rabbi Elazar says, it is impossible to say "and He clears," since it already says "He will not clear," and it is impossible to say "He will not clear," since it already says "and He clears." How so? He clears those who repent and does not clear those who do not repent. And concerning all transgressions in the Torah, from him yes, from his family no? But is it not written, "And I will set My face against that man and against his family" (Leviticus 20:5)? And it was taught, Rabbi Shimon said: If he sinned, how did his family sin? Rather, there is no family containing a tax-collector in which they are not all tax-collectors, and no family containing a bandit in which they are not all bandits, because they shield him. There it is a different judgment, as was taught: Rabbi Eliezer says, "And I will set My face against that man and against his family": one might think the whole family is subject to excision; Scripture says "him": he is subject to excision, not the whole family. And concerning other transgressions, from the whole world no? But is it not written, "And they shall stumble, each man over his brother" (Leviticus 26:37), each man for the iniquity of his brother, teaching that all Israel are sureties for one another? There it is where they had the power to protest and did not; here even though they did not have the power to protest. What difference is there between the wicked of his family and the wicked of the world at large, and between the righteous of his family and the righteous of the world at large? For other transgressions, he is in his own judgment, the wicked of his family are in a severe judgment, and the wicked of the world at large are in the lenient judgment, and the righteous in both cases are exempt. Regarding the vain oath, he and the wicked of his family are in his judgment, the wicked of the world at large are in a severe judgment, and the righteous in both cases are in the lenient judgment. "And if he says, I am ready to swear, those standing there say, Depart now," and so forth. Granted that the one who swears falls under "depart," but the one who imposes the oath upon him, why? That verse is needed for what was taught: Rabbi Shimon ben Tarfon says, "An oath of the LORD shall be between the two of them" (Exodus 22:10), teaching that the oath falls upon both of them. And when they impose the oath on him they say, "Know that we do not adjure you according to your intent, but according to our intent and the intent of the court." Why must they say this? To exclude the case of Rava's reed.